Hiram stevens maxim



UN ITED STATES PATENT Orrlcn.

HIRAIWI STEVENS MAXIM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,049, dated August 12, 1890. Application filed March 4, 1890. Serial No. 342,643. (No specimens) Patented in England March 14, 1889, No. 4,477-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, mechanical engineer, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of London, England, have invented certain new and us 9- ful Improvements in the Man ufacture of Explosive Compounds, (for which I have ob tained a patent in Great Britain, No. 4,477, dated March 14, 1889,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of explosive compounds, and comprises improvements whereby I am enabled to so modify the explosive properties of such compounds that the said compounds will burn slowly and Will act very efficiently in rifles and other firearms-that is to say, they will impart a very high muzzle velocity to the projectile without at any time subjecting the gun-barrel to ex cessive pressure.

In the manufacture of explosive compounds according to my present invention I mix dissolved gun-cotton or pyroxyline with nitroglycerine, nitro-gelatine, or similar material, and with oil, preferably castor-oil. I have discovered that the addition of an oil such as caster-oil to compounds of dissolved guncotton and nitro-glycerine, nitro-gelatine, or the like increases the toughness of the product and modifies the explosive properties thereof, while greatly diminishing its liability to deterioration by exposure to the, atmosphere. I prefer to employ castor-oil, because it is soluble bymeans of the solvents which are employed for dissolving the gun-cotton and nitro-glycerine or nitro-gelatine. It combines with either of these substances, forming a compound which is unlike either of the said substances alone, and, as it contains oxygen, it requires a smaller supply of oxygen from other sources to consume it, and also has lesstendency to produce smoke than other oils, while, like them, it modifies the explosion.

Castor-oil, moreover makes the explosive compound very tough and of such nature that it can be easily cut and easily pressed, and effectually prevents its deterioration under atmospheric influences.

I produce an explosive compound which is advantageous for various purposes by mixing the gun-cotton, the nitro-glycerine, nitro-gelatine, or similar substance and the castor-oil in or about in the following proportions, viz: from two to five per cent. of the castor-oil, from ten to sixteen per cent. of the nitroglycerine or the like, and the remainder of gun-cotton. I can thus make an explosive compound which when out into small pieces answers very Well as a smokeless powder for rifles, the oil efiectually preventing detonation and regulating or modifying, as may be required, the rapidity with which the said compound will burn.

My improved explosive compound is advantageously manufactured as follows, that is to say, I first dissolve gun-cotton or trinitro-cellulose in acetone, ethylic acetate, or a similar solvent, either in a liquid state or in the form of vapor, until the said gun-cotton is brought to a sufficiently thin consistence, and I then add to the dissolved gun-cotton the nitroglycerine or nitrogelatine, and after that the castor-oil, and thoroughly incorporate these substances, or the castor-oil may be dissolved in a portion of the acetone or other solvent before the said solvent is added to the guncotton.

According to another method of manufacture, I take thoroughly-dried gun-cotton and place it in a rotary cylinder, wherein it is tumbled with the nitro-glycerine or nitrogelatine and the oil, the said nitro-glycerine or nitro-gelatine and oil being first mixed with a quantity of acetone or other solvent insufficient to dissolve the gun-cotton. The said cylinder is rotated until the fibers of the gun-cotton are uniformly Wet With the said mixture. In this condition the gun-cotton is not explosive. The gun-cotton thus mixed with the nitro-glycerine or nitro-gelatine and oil is then placed in a closed cylinder or press, the air is exhausted from the said cylinder or press, and its place supplied by the vapor of acetone, ethylic acetate, or other solvent.

IVhen the mixture is sufiiciently' dissolved, it 9 is subjected to pressure in the said cylinder or press, and thus forced out through small holes in the form of threads or thin strips which may be cut into small pieces, as de-' scribed in the specification of a former application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me and dated December 19,A. D.

1888, Serial No. 294,087, or in any other convenient manner. I wish it understood, however, that I do not confine myself to any special method or process for the production of my improved compound of gun-cotton, nitroglycerine, or similar material and oil, as I may manufacture the said compound in various ways.

I sometimes treat the explosive compound in the manner described in the specification of another application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me March 4, 1890, Serial No. 342,644, for the recovery of the solvents used in the manufacture of the said compound.

What I claim is 1. An explosive compound consisting, essentially, of gun-cotton or pyroxyl-ine mixed with nitro-glycerinc and an oil such as castor-oil, asset forth.

2. The process of manufacturing explosive compounds, which consists in mixing and agitating pyrox'yline or gun-cotton with a compound of nitro-glycerine, castor-oil, and a proportion of a solvent such as acetone in- 

